Display device



Dec.31,1929. 12.0. BERKE. 1,742,164

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed May 14.. 1928 31a/manto@ Patented Dec. 31, 1.929

UNITED STATES RAYMOND O. BERRE, F DENVER, COLORADO DISPLAY DEVICE Application filed May 14,

or on the iioor in such a position that the customers will have an opportunity -to ex amine the goods and to remove such packages as they care to buy.

Atter the purchaser has selectedL his pur chase he can then pay the attendant and in this way these devices become silent salesmen that greatlytacilitate the operation of vending small articles of this class.

This invention, briefly described, consists in a base having an upwardly extending standard or support which is provided at spaced intervals with pairs of outwardly extending flanges to which supporting members are detachably secured. The parts are so constructed that the supporting members can be rotated about the axis of the supporting standard so that a customer can have the opportunity of inspecting all the packages supported by the device Without making it necessary to move from one position.

The device may be made in several sizes, the smaller size being constructed so that it can be placed on the counter and the larger size so that it can be placed on the floor. A large number of dierent kinds of articles can be displayed by this device, but they are particularly well adapted for use in displaying such goods as salted peanuts, candied peanuts and candies of all kinds.

In order to describe the invention so that its construction and operation can be'readily understood, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred embodiment thereof has been illustrated, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through one of these display stands;

Fi 2 is a section taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: is a section taken on line 4-4, Fig. 1;

192s. serial No. 277,433.

Fig. 5 `is a perspective view showing one of the supporting members removed and one of the packages in place thereon; and

`F ig. 6 is a vertical section through a modified construction.

In the drawing numeral 1 indicates a base member which has a removable bottom closure 2 that is preferably covered with Jfelt such as indicated by 3 for the purpose of preventing the scratching of the counters or the floors on which it may be supported. This base is preferably constructed so as to have a heavy cast iron member 5 of considerable masswhich is provided with an outside covering 6 of sheet brass that is spun into a shape such as indicated on the drawing and applied to the outside of the casting so as to give the latter a finished appearance. The upper central portion of member 5 is provided with an opening 7 within which is rotatably mounted a supporting member 8. This member has a threaded plug 9 with which the lower end of the supporting standard 1() is threadedly connected. Member 8 is also provided with a downwardly projecting cylindrical plug 11, whose lower end is threaded as indicated at 12. Nuts 13 are secured tothe lower end of plug 11 and are"v separated from the lower surface of member 5 by means of a washer 14. The member 8 is so adjusted that it can Jrreely rotate and therefore the support 10 can be rotated whenever it is necessary to do so. Secured to the standard 10 at spaced intervals are pairs of attaching members 15 and 16. These members have outwardly extending flanges and downwardly extending hubs 17. The' hubs` are provided with openings for the reception of clamping screws 18 by means of which the supporting members are lsecured in place; The outwardly extending iiange of member 15 is provided with a plurality of radial openings 19 for the reception of the ends of .the straight supporting parts 20 of the supporting member. The flanges of memberA 16 are provided with openings 21 extending transversely thereof which are adapted to receive the end portions 22 of the support members. From Figure 5 it will be seen that the support members have a straight portion 20 which is integral with the upwardly extending inclined portion 23 that terminates in the upwardly extending end 22. Packages like those indicated by numeral 24 and which are usually provided with perforated tabs 25 are threaded onto the straight part 20, afterwhich the latter is inserted in one of the holes 19 in the flange of supporting member 15. The upwardly bent end 22 is then inserted through one of the openings 21 and keeps the supporting arm from being accidentally removed. When small packages such as peanuts or candy packages are to be displayed by a device of this type, it is possible to support quite a number of them on each of the supporting arms and as there may be a large number of these supporting arms, it is apparent that the display device will have a large capacity. The exact number of supporting arms is immaterial as far as this invention is concerned Vand in the drawing eight such supporting arms have beeny shown, but a larger number may be employed if desired. The top of the support 10 is usually provided'V with an ornamental terminal 26 which gives it a finished appearance.

In the construction above described and shown in Figure 1, the supporting members 15 and 16 are separate from each other and are held in place on the support 10 by means of screws 18. lVith this construction it is necessary that the support 10 shall rotate in the base and for this purpose the construction shown in Figure 3 has been provided. It is possible, however, to obtain substantially the same results by making the supporting members 15a and 16a integral in the manner shown in Figure 6, where these flanges have been shown as connected by a central tubular member 27. When constructed as shown in Figure 6,the supporting` members 15aL and 16a with. their connecting member 27 form a structure similar to an ordinary spool but the upper flange 16L is usually made of smaller diameter than the flange 15a. These spools, instead of being clamped to the supporting bar 10, rest on a removable collar 28 that is held in place by means of a set screw 29. The supporting arms are attached to the spools shown in Figure 6 in the same manner as described in connection with the embodiment shown in Figure 1. v Attention is called to the great ease with which the supporting arms can be removed for the purpose of applying to them the goods to be displayed. It is only necessary to remove the arm 23 downwardly towards arm 20 sufficiently to remove the end 22 from the hole 21 in flange 16 after which the supported arm can be withdrawn.

I want to call particular attention to-the specific construction ofthe spool and the supporting arms as this is of great importance when considered in connection with the use to which the device is to be put. The bags are provided with tabs 25 having openings through which the arm 20 extends. By having arm 20 substantially straight the bags can be readily put in place. If the free end of arm 2O were bent at right angles, it would be diiicult to insert the arm into the holes in tabs 25. It is also desirable to hold the supporting arms against movement with respect to the spool and this is accomplished by providing hub 15a with radial openings 19. If hubs 15 and 15a had transverse holes like hubs 21, the supporting arms would swing about the spool which is undesirable. The supports also require the lower arm of the support to extend substantially horizontally so that the bags will remain where they are placed and at the same time a stronger support is formed if the upper arm 23 is inclined with respect to the lower arm as a triangular structure thereby obtained.

The specific embodiment described above is illustrative only of a type of display device and it is applicants intention to claim this construction as broadly as the art permits as it is evident that the same broad ideas can be embodied in structures that differ specifically from those illustrated on the drawing and description herein.

The idea of suspending bags Whether perforated or not and whether or not provided with tabs 25 is comprehended in this invention.

It is, of course, possible to display and vend similar goods by means of a center post provided with baskets, loops or rods on which bags can be supported or from which they can be suspended.

The rack may also have the name and price cards supported in suitable places thereon.

In .order to produce a more attractive display lamps may be placed near the center so as to be behind the bags and as the latter are made of translucent material they will make a better appearance especially in the evening.

A si gn or any other advertising device may be fastened to the top of the support or attached to it so as to revolve or oscillate.

In order to signal the owner that a customer is present a bell may be attached to the device so as to be sounded when a bag is removed.

From the above description it is believed that the construction and the advantages of this invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and no further description will be attempted. Applica-nt, however, desires to again call attention to the fact that he contemplates making this display device in different sizes and that the one illustrated is not to be construed in a limiting sense, but merely as an example of this type of device.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A display device comprising, a base, a supporting standard secured to the base and waaien extending vertically therefrom, said standard being provided with a spool having a pair of vertically spaced outwardly extending hanger, the lower dang-e oi each pair having a i j plurality oi radial openings, the upper Harige having a corresponding number of corre.

spondingly placed openings extending through the flange in the direction of its axis, and a removable supporting device compris- 1o ing a substantially V-shaped member one side of which is substantially straight and has its end adapted to be inserted into one of the radial openings and having its other side bent v and adapted to be inserted into thecorrespending transverse opening in the otherV` i iiange.

2. A display device comprising, a base, a

. supporting standard secured to the base and extending vertically therefrom, said standard being provided with a spool-like member, Whichconsists of two circular disk-like flanges v connected by means of a tubular hub member, one of said flanges having a plurality of radial openings, the other llange having a corre- ,25 spending number of transverse holes, a sup-` porting member for each pair of radial and transverse holes said supporting members being substantially V-shaped, the end of one of the side members being substantially straightand adapted to be inserted into one of the radial openings and the other side having its end bent so as to adapt it to be inserted into the corresponding transverse opening in the other flange.

3. A display device comprising, in combination, a base, a vertical-supporting standard secured at its lower end to the base, a collar adjustably 'secured to the standard, a spool rotatably connected with the standard above 40 the collar and supported on the latter, said s ool having vertically spaced circular anges, the upper Bange having a plurality of angularly spaced transverse holes, the lower flange having a plurality of radial sockets correspondin in number, and position with the holes in t e upper flange and supporting devices attached to the ianges of the spool, said supporting devices each consistingI of a wire bent intermediate its ends through an angle somewhat less than one hundred eighty degrees, whereby two angularly related arms are formed, one of said arms being substantially straight andadapted to enter a socket in the lower flange, the other arm having its end bent so as to lie substantially in the plane o the device and so as to make an angle of substantially ninety degrees with the other arm, said bent end extending through one of the holes in the upper llange whereby the supporting devices will resist a downward force.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.l RAYMOND O. BERKE. 

